How High Altitude Triathlon Training Works

In order to cope with less oxygen available in thin air, the body produces more hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying components of red blood cells).

Having more hemoglobin/red blood cells results in improved performance at sea level.

While the first point is a widely-known fact, and the second point has been scientifically proven (see sidebar), the third point remains controversial. There's currently no definitive proof that altitude training improves performance. However, because they've witnessed great performances by athletes who've trained at altitude, many coaches and athletes believe altitude training is effective. When athletes are looking for something -- anything -- that might give them a competitive edge, even unproven strategies might be worth exploring.

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There are a number of different approaches to training at altitude, including "Live High/Train High," "Live Low/Train High" and "Live High/Train Low." Probably the most popular approach is the "Live High/Train Low" (LHTL) strategy. Studies show that to receive the full benefit of this approach, athletes need to remain in a high altitude environment for about 12 hours per day for at least three to four weeks [Source: Wehrlin]. To achieve this, an athlete may, for instance, live on top of a mountain and travel to the valley below to train.

Marathoner Ed Eyestone suggests that the "sweet spot" for altitude training is between 7,000 and 8,000 feet (2,133 and 2,438 meters), and many coaches believe that altitude training is most effective at the peak of training, near the date of competition.

Purported benefits of high altitude training include:

increased lung capacity

increased lactic acid threshold

increased hemoglobin mass and red cell volume

muscles more efficient at extracting oxygen from the blood

Though studies are underway, not all of these benefits have been proven scientifically. Still, many athletes and coaches have a "It can't hurt" attitude toward altitude training. Before beginning any kind of new training regimen, however, athletes should educate themselves about the risks, as well as the possible benefits. When it comes to altitude training, some benefits, such as increased hemoglobin and red blood cells, may actually pose problems for some athletes. We look at the dangers of high altitude triathlon training in the next section.

The Science Behind the Live High/Train Low (LHTL) Strategy

A 2001 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology concluded that living high/training low improved sea-level performance by 1.1 percent in elite runners. A research team recruited 26 elite distance runners to live for 27 days at an altitude of 2,500 meters (8,202 feet) while training at 1,250 meters (4,101 feet). Runners completed 3,000-meter (3,280 yard) time trials and treadmill assessments at sea level both before and after the study began. The authors of the study hypothesized that increased red cell volume (RCV) and Hemoglobin Mass were responsible for the improved performances. [Source: Stray-Gunderson].

A 2006 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology imposed conditions similar to the 2001 study and verified 5 percent increases in RCV and Hemoglobin Mass after LHTL training. While this study also showed a 1.6 percent increase in performance, the authors cautioned that the athlete's own expectations could have caused the increase and would only go so far as to conclude that increased RCV and Hemoglobin Mass may have contributed to improved performance [Source: Wehrlin].